South Korean Nationals Arrested in UAE for Operating $2.3 Billion Illegal Gambling Ring
Three South Koreans were arrested in the UAE for an illegal gambling operation valued at $2.3 billion that ran since their 2016 departure from South Korea. The scheme spanned multiple jurisdictions for evasion and laundering; two suspects have been repatriated. President Lee Jae Myung credited bilateral cooperation and vowed further pursuit of fugitives.
SCCG Take — The arrests demonstrate how targeted international collaboration can disrupt large offshore gambling networks and facilitate asset recovery, raising enforcement risks for similar cross-border operations.
According to South Korean police, three South Korean suspects accused of operating an illegal online gambling business worth KRW 3.1 trillion (about $2.3 billion) from abroad have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a joint investigation with local authorities. The suspects left South Korea in 2016 and allegedly operated illegal gambling websites valued at KRW 2.6 trillion ($1.95 billion) from countries including the Philippines and Malaysia. The alleged ringleader and his second-in-command are also suspected of using the UAE as a base to evade law enforcement and launder large sums of illicit proceeds. Two have been repatriated.
The group operated under the name “Halak,” Arabic for “destruction.” It promoted the banned sports betting site BetEast by sponsoring English Premier League club Swansea City in 2016, with the logo appearing on jerseys and inside the stadium. One accomplice who developed gambling software maintained links to a separate operation valued at KRW 500 billion ($347 million). The suspects recruited middle school students, used third-country passports to conceal identities, and lived lavishly while hosting Korean celebrities and visiting high-end venues in the Middle East.
Details Behind the Joint UAE-South Korea Operation
The arrests resulted from cooperation between South Korean investigators and UAE authorities. The alleged ringleader and second-in-command used the UAE as a base to evade law enforcement. The second-in-command had connections to a prominent television personality.
President Lee Jae Myung on Fugitive Pursuit
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung expressed gratitude to UAE leadership for the assistance, citing an interagency task force on transnational crime. Lee stated that criminals cannot evade justice by fleeing overseas. He added that the government would pursue fugitives relentlessly, repatriate them, and recover illicit proceeds while taking firm action against transnational crime to protect the public. This fits South Korea’s recent hawkish approach to illegal gambling, according to reporting by GamblingNews.
Reporting: GamblingNews
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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